Elastic-fluid turbine.



PATENTED JUNE 6; 1905.

o. G. CURTIS. BLASTIG FLUID TURBINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 19`Q3. BENEWBD DEO. 2, 1904;

`KhA lnirenior Witnesses www mmwww m new www; .mw p. www. um 'mm No.l 791,674.y I

l UNITED STATES I Patented .T une 6, T905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES G. CURTIS, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY IVIESNEl ASSIGN- MENTS, TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

ELAsTlo-FLUID TURYBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No'. '79I,674, dated June 6, 1905.

v Application led .Tune 2, 1903. Renewed December 2, 1904. Serial No. 235,233.

c To @ZZ `whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. CURTIS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a description. c

The object I have in view is to provide an arrangement of the elements of an elastic- In carrying out my invention the'direct turj.

bine is divided into a number of stages of expansion each containing two or more sets of moving vanes and one or more sets of intermediate stationary vanes, and the stages of the direct turbine are divided between two or v more independent shells or casings, each of chamber containing'the reversing turbine and' which shells or casings contains two or more stages separated from each other by diaphragme within the shells. The wheels for all the stages of the direct turbine are mounted upon one shaft, which passes through the two or more shells, this shaft being supported by bearings outside of the shells, as well as between the shells. The last shell, containing one or more stages of the direct turbine, is extended sufficiently to form an exhaust-chamber and also to include beyond the exhaust chamber a compartment for the reversing turbine, the wheel of which is mounted upon the same shaft as the wheels of the direct turbine. The reversing turbine hasa number of sets of movable and stationary vanes, andl the exhaust from the reversing turbine is delivered into the exhaust-chamber common to both the direct and reversing turbine, but from the opposite side ot' such chamber. Between the -the exhaust-chamber is placed a diaphragm,y which is closedvat'the bottom of the shell and may extend upwardly t any desired distance.` Ii' it `extends to the top of the shell, it has a suitable opening for permitting the exhaust from the reversing turbine to pass into the exhaust-chamber. The function of this diaphragm is that of a water-separator, preventing the water and spray which is present in the exhaust-chamber from flowing into the chamber of the reversing turbine, where it would have a brake action upon the moving vanes of the latter. To subserve this purpose, it might not be necessary to carry the diaphragm to the top of the casing. It might, indeed, rise no higher than lthe shaft; but it is desirable that the diaphragm should be extended upwardly to the top of the casing or` to a point near the top, so as to avoid as farA `as possible the circulation or blowing of the exhaust-steam and entrained water from the direct turbine into the chamber of the reversing turbine, where it would retard the wheel. An additional means for preventing the exhaust-steam from the direct turbine from cir-..

culating or blowing into the chamber of the, reversing turbine may be employed, consisting of a deflecting-plate located in the exhaustchamber' and serving to guide ,the exhauststeam and entrained water from the direct turbine into the pipe leading from the exhaustchamber to the condenser.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectionth rough the last shell or casing of a turbine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation illustrating the turbine. with its stages dividedbetween two shells, and Fig. 3. is a similar View illustrating a threeshell arrangement. p

The turbine may have two shells A C, as shown in Fig. 2, or two or more shells AB C, as shown in Fig. The shaft D passes centrally through the two or more shells and is supported by bearings t outside of the shells as well as by bearings Z) between the shells. Ea'ch shell is divided into two or more compartments by diaphragme suitably braced ory strengthened to withstand the difference in pressure, and in each compartment is a wheel carried by the shaft upon which are two or more sets of movable vanes cooperating with one or more sets of intermediate stationary vanes carried by the shell. The steam is delivered to each compartment by a nozzle receiving the steam from the preceding compartment, except in the case of the iirst compartment, whose nozzle receives the steam directly from the boiler. As will be understood, each nozzle converts pressure into velocity and, together with the moving and stationary vanes with which it coacts, forms a Astage ofthe turbine.

The turbine shown in Fig. 2 has four direct stages in the shell A and two in the shell C, while the turbine shown in Fig. 3 has three direct stages in each of the shells A and B and two direct stages in the vshell C. The shells are connected together by conduits E, which carry the steam from one shell to another. The last or final shell C of the turbine, which is shown in section in Fig. l, is provided with one or more stages of the direct turbine. Two of such stages are illustrated in the drawings, the stages being separated by a partition or diaphragm suitably braced or strengthened. The shell C is extended beyond the last wheel F of the direct turbine, so as to form an exhaust-chamber G. In this shell beyond the exhaust-chamber is mounted upon the shaft the wheel H of the reversing turbine, which carries a number of sets of movable vanes cooperating with suitable intermediate stationary vanes supported by the shell. The nozzle of the reverse turbine is supported by the head of the shell, and the steam -jet flows through the vanes of the reverse turbine from the right to the left, exhaustinginto the chamber Gr in the opposite direction from the exhaust of the direct turbine, which flows from the left to the right. The compartment containing the reverse turbine is divided from the exhaust-chamber G by a diaphragm I, which diaphragm extends from the bottom of the shell upwardly and preferably to the top of the shell, it being pierced by an opening o, through which the exhaust from the reverse turbine enters the chamber G. The diaphragm I serves to prevent the exhaust-steam from the direct turbine and the entrained Water delivered by the direct turbine to the exhaustchamber G from blowing into the compartment containing the wheel of the reverse turbine, and it also prevents any water collecting in the bottom of the exhaust-chamber from flowing into the bottom of the chamber of the reverse turbine. Drain-pockets d, with draw-0H pipes, are providedv for each compartment of the direct turbine, as well as for the chamber of the reverse turbine in the bottom of the shells, for drawing off the water. As an additional means for preventing the exhaust-steam and entrained water from the direct turbine from blowing into the chamber containing the reverse turbine the exhaust-chamber G is provided with anl inclined or curved deflecting-plate K. which extends, preferably, around the circumference of the chamber Gr and inwardly toward the shaft for a suitable distance, defiecting and guiding the exhaust-steam and entrained water from the direct turbine into the pipe L, leading to the condenser.

Vhat I claim is l. In an elastic-Huid turbine, the combination of direct and reverse turbines, with an exhaust-chamber common to both turbines, and means within the exhaust-chamber for preventing theI water of condensation from the direct turbine from entering the chamber of the reverse turbine, substantially as set forth.

2. In an elastic-Huid turbine, the combination of direct and reverse turbines, with an exhaust-chamber common to both turbines, and means within the exhaust-chamber for preventing the exhaust-steam and entraincd water from the direct turbine from blowing into the chamber containing the reverse turbine, substantially as set forth.

3. In an elastic-duid turbine, the combination witha single casing, of one or more stages of a direct turbine located within said casing at one end, a reverse turbine located in the casing at the other end, a common exhaustchamber located in the casing between the two turbines, the turbines exhausting in opposite directions into said chamber, and a diaphragm for preventing the water of condensation from the exhaust of the direct turbine from entering the chamber of the reverse tulbine, substantially as set forth.

4. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination with a single casing, of one or more stages of a direct turbine located within said casing at one end, a reverse turbine located in the casing at the other end, a common exhaustchamber located in the casing between the two turbines, the turbines exhausting in opposite directions into said chamber, and a diaphragm for preventing the exhaust-steam and entrained water from the direct turbine froln blowing into the chamber of the reverse turbine, substantially as set forth.

5. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination with a single casing, of one or more stages of a direct turbine located within said casing at one end, a reverse turbine located in the casing at the other end, a common exhaustchamber located in the casing between the two turbines, the turbines exhausting in opposite directions into said chamber, and a diaphragm separating the space containing the reverse turbine from the exhaust-chamber at the bottom of the shell, substantially as set forth.

6. In an elastic-fluid' turbine, the combination with a single casing, of one or more stages of a direct turbine located within said casing at one end, a reverse turbine located in the IOO g casing at theother end, a common exhaustchamber located in the casing between thev two turbines, the turbines exhausting in opposite directions into said chamber, and a diaphragm separating the space containing the reverse turbine from-the exhaust-chamber throughout the greater part of the area of the shell, substantially as set forth.

7. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination with a single casing, of one or more stages of a direct turbine located within said casing at one end, a reverse turbine located in the casing at the other end, a common exhaustchamber located in the casing between the two turbines, the turbinesexhausting in opposite directions into said chamber, and a deiiector within the exhaust-chamber for deflecting and guiding the exhaust from the direct turbine to the outlet from such chamber,

.chamber located in the casing between the two turbines, the turbines exhausting in opposite directions into said chamber, the diaphragm I and the deflector K, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 28th day of May, 1903.

CHARLES Gr. CURTIS.

Witnesses:

JOHN RoB'r. TAYLOR, JOHN L. LoTscH. 

